That's what Acorn Media may feel it's landed. Acorn distributes British TV series in the U.S., and it's now acquired a controlling interest in the estate of Agatha Christie. The late author of murder mysteries has sold billions of books. Those include the classic detective series Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.

(SOUNDBITE OF AGATHA CHRISTIE MOVIE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (as Hercule Poirot) However, there is someone in this room who denied to him this pleasure.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (as character) You mean his murderer's here? One of us?

MONTAGNE: The company bought the rights to 80 novels and short story collections, 19 plays and nearly 40 TV films. What Acorn Media paid remains a mystery.

And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.